Week 5 - Oregon City - February 2 - to February 8, 2026

Back in December, I went to California with Jessica and Bev to visit with Natalie.  Nat lives in Palo Alto which is relatiely close to Ben Lomond, California which is the location of Hill Guitars.  Kenneth Hill is a renown guitar luthier who has a great/famous reputation for making wonderful (exquisite) guitars.  I thought it would be fun to visit his shop (store, workshop) and emailed to make an appoitment.  However, he was only available when I was not.  Previously I had talked to my teacher, David Tutmark, who told me that Kenny Hill makes a really great Torres guitar which I would LOVE.  The Torres guitar is a bit smaller guitar with a tiny bit smaller fretboard....but its size does not diminish it tonal quality.  I was smitten by the possibility that I could buy a Hill/Torres guitar which is defininently above my pay grade.  In my email I mentioned that I was interested in the Torres 4278 which was listed on his website...but he said he thought it was sold.  David, my teacher, contacted Kenny Hill and told him about his student (me) who was interested in the Torre 4278.  But Kenny said he had promised the 4278 to some guitar group to be sold at a raffle.............sigh...........but there was another one (the last "new" one at a retail outlet) in New York that he mayber could get for me.  I wanted the 4278 in California not the other New York one - besides the 4278 is a better guitar because it is made with Brazilian Rosewood (no longer legal to cut/sell/use and so forth)....so a Brazilian Rosewood guitar is rare and desireable ....(rosewood produces the best tone) and...the 4278 has two sound ports which make a better sound for the guitarist.

Well - there were a lot of conversations between David and Kenny Hill---Kenny managed to give away the New York guitar for the raffle, and send the California guitar (with sound ports and Brazilian rosewood to Oregon...to me.  

On January 15, after ensemble reheasal, in the late afternoon at dusk, I drove to Wilsonville and picked up the last guitar I will ever need to own.  It meets and/or exceeds all of my expectations.

So back to reality - I am working in Far West Sector - cleaning out the brush and defining the fence line/property line.  I want to do it before anyone moves in to the new deelopment so that maybe there will be no questions about where my side of the line is and where their side is.

Here are two flags marking property corners.

There was a big filbert tree/bush in the wahy - I took it down to the ground.

Here is pink surveyor's tape marking the way.

Here is a good ending to the week,  Zelensky likes sittong on the chair, right beside me, when I practice.